Author's Note- Okay, only majorly late, but here nonetheless right? I literally re-wrote this chapter four times until I found something fitting for a final chapter. I think I'm pretty content with this actually and I only hope that you guys enjoy it.

Speaking of you guys, I just want to comment one last time on how amazing the journey of this story has been and it is all because of the followers. So thank you, 1,000 times over for following, reading and reviewing. It has made writing this worth it.

Don't forget to join Lauren and I on facebook and to continue following the One-shot series and commission of One-shots like Love and War.

So, without further delay, I give you guys the finally of Rumored to be True.

Love you guys!

How could I have been so blind…

Chapter 20- Rumored to be True

It was rumored that Coach Carson had been fired back before Christmas break, because the only explanation for his adequate coaching- proven by the plethora of games his team had won- was due to the fact that he had his team on steroids.

It was rumored that the school district was under a law suit by a newer resident in Buffalo due to the fact that it unprofessionally opted an accusation on a kid who was assumed to start fights at old schools.

It was rumored that Ramon Santos transferred schools, because the football team went to crap and he had a reputation to keep if he wanted to get any decent scholarships and a chance to continue playing in college.

It was rumored that Rae and Brady were on one week and off the next because no sense of relationship could hold either of their egotistical personalities.

It was rumored that Liam Malloy was arrested and thrown into prison for an attempt of rape on school grounds, not to mention his loss of admittance and football scholarships for his future school. Because of his loss and the renouncement of Coach Carson, the Bison's lost their edge, and the pep of the school seemed to die along with it.

It was also rumored that the boy who had been accused of starting fights and having an unstable history was now dating the girl who Liam Mallow had victimized and assaulted.

Derek snorted as he chalked up everything he had heard- again- that January morning in his second hour class. To say that any of this was old news, overrated and worn to scraps was an understatement.

Seriously, it's been a month. And, honestly, most of the truth had gone to crap as soon as word had reached the school back in December.

For the most part, and sticking to the point, Andrew Carson had been fired. But the gossip about him drugging his players was complete bullshit. Not that the district or the administrators did anything to prove otherwise, because the simple truth was that Andrew had falsely and abruptly accused Derek of being dangerous and unstable, causing constant fights because he was troubled by his past. It wasn't in his power or his place to convict and act, but to recite his concern to the guardian of the accused, which Andrew did not. Andrew knew that Kit wouldn't see what he saw, therefore Andrew acted on what he thought was best. The guy wasn't a bad person, but simply, horribly mistaken.

This connects with the talk about the district under a law suit with the father of the accused, which would be Christopher Bae, Derek's dad, if it were actually true. Kit hadn't pressed charges when it came to Andrew's assumptions, Liam's actions, or Lyle house's unprofessionalism, nor did he care what happened to Andrew, Liam or Ramon as long as they stayed away from his son and the girl whom Liam had assaulted.

Speaking of Ramon, it was true he had transferred schools. But it wasn't because of his devotion to the sport of football, nor his desire to play the game in college. The guy could care less when it came to football or his education. He just had no one to trail around for the ride after he had sold his best friend out on attacking a- seemingly- helpless girl. He moved on and nobody really heard from him or about him anymore.

Derek could care less about Rae or Brady. For one, he wasn't chummy with the guy because of the football player's superiority complex, and frankly, Derek didn't go out of his way to make friends anyways. Second, Rae was a complete bitch that Derek had no respect for whatsoever. The rumor was something Tori started once discovering her new found hate for the brunette dancer. It was petty, but again, Derek didn't care.

A lot of talk was centered around Liam disappearing from school, where students heard whispers that he had been arrested because he was caught on tape trying to get into the pants of one of their fellow students. He wasn't necessarily arrested, where Derek believed that he was eighteen and very well should have been, but simply taken into custody and shoved into Lyle house after it was background checked and filtered through the government, upon attorney, Kit Bae's request to keep from a lawsuit. But the more Derek thought about it, the more satisfying the idea was that Liam wound up to be the one stuck in Lyle house after getting Derek sent there for setting up a fight during his attempt of rape. He knew that girl was important to Derek, and he took advantage of that. Unfortunately for him, prompt of the girl's own words, Liam got what he deserved.

And finally, the rumor that Derek doubted would ever go away, because it was rumored to be absolutely true, was the he- the boy accused of being dangerous and uncontrollable- was dating the girl whom Liam had sexually assaulted, the girl labeled to be un-datable aside from her sweet, innocent nature, because she was straightforward and stubborn.

Chloe Saunders.

The very idea willed Derek's lips to curve, but he refrained from the full blown smile that threatened to appear. There was no need to make people look or pay any more attention to him than they already did, especially if he had a goofy ass grin on his face. But he really couldn't help it. To think that before, he truly believed he had all he needed in life. That having his dad, his brother and best friend, and, to an extent, his sister, was all he needed to escape his past, his biological father's reputation, his experience in the orphanage, and his life before this one. And yet, there was always a void that Derek's family couldn't fill. He never paid to much attention to it before meeting Chloe. And upon realization, he couldn't keep away from how she almost capped it.

Derek would never say that their relationship was perfect. It was simply labeled and easy enough for anyone to follow. Boyfriend and girlfriend. But since meeting her three months before, as fast as things have moved, Chloe was more than a superficial title. She was his best friend in a way that Simon couldn't be. She was his grip, snapping him out of whatever illogical thought produced from his fairly practical brain when it came to anything that didn't require common sense. Derek was a genius. But, at the same time, he was helplessly clueless. And she's been slowly fixing that, surprisingly by her more stubborn behavior by not taking any of his shit. Though that was shocking and out of the ordinary to Derek, he couldn't let it go or get enough of it.

Chloe was something else to him, made for him. Not the perfect fit in that void, but everything he ever wanted and could ask for when it came down to it. And the fact that she felt the same made the connection between them all the more surreal.

The bell sounded then, yanking Derek from his reverie, and shoving him into something even better. His reality. His reality in which he could actually see Chloe with his own eyes, hear her voice with his own ears, feel her skin with his own touch. She was only down the hall after all.

Derek pushed out of his seat without hesitation, part of him eager to get out of class and away from all the gossip- gossip that he has heard a hundred times over, each story a touch different than the last- the other part eager just to see Chloe. He usually walked her from her second hour class that she shared with Simon to the third hour class that they had together. Career and Consumer Connections.

To think that this class was really where they had started, and Derek hated to be sentimental, but it was the truth. Everything between them and Liam and Simon mixed in. It was almost as if they had been pushing through all this crap that lead to this point through years instead of three short months.

Derek rounded the corner into Chloe's hall and saw her among the other students like he usually did. Except today looked to be a little different than what Derek usually saw. He bent his brows in confusion, questioning why he normally saw Chloe standing outside of her class waiting for him, where he always drank in her petite frame, her blonde tresses framing her face and her blue eyes smiling when they found his, sending his insides into a fit of hysterics, instead finding this time that she was already walking away towards Mr. Beck's classroom. By herself.

The sight didn't make sense, nor did it compute in Derek's brain. All that he could think was that he had either taken too long to get to her English class- which was really unlikely considering how elated he was to see her- or that something was wrong. Was something wrong?

Derek picked up his pace, weaving around other students and quickly caught up to her. From what he could see, she seemed to look fine. She wasn't hurt, annoyed, or angered. In fact, she wasn't really expressing any form of emotion though she didn't have a need to. Her features were simply blank, eyes on the ground as she watched where her own feet were going. She was simply walking to class.

But she was walking by herself.

Hesitantly, Derek reached over her shoulder and plucked the book titled 'The Great Gatsby' from her grasp, feeling the need to do something to introduce his presence. He didn't say anything, knowing that she would jump and turn on him, slight annoyance dancing in her eyes. But, strangely, even her minor aggravation seemed better than the eerie, emotionless mask she currently wore.

Chloe jumped, as was predicted, but she didn't turn, which wasn't normal. She just closed her eyes, continuing to walk and gave an annoyed sigh.

"Simon," she huffed, almost as if warning. Derek furrowed his brows, becoming even more perplexed by the second. Sure Chloe and Simon were friends now; all awkward tension between them had been thrown out the window long ago. But why was she suspecting Simon when she very well should know that it was Derek who had the knack to sneak up on her and would be around at this time anyways. It was as if he encroached on a constant game the two played- which was often as Simon became the guy who liked Chloe, but it wasn't a girlfriend or nothing kind of like. He was simply being his charming, good-natured self and Chloe liked that about her friend- only Chloe wasn't into it today. That was definitely not normal.

Derek slowly draped his arm over her shoulder, still holding her book in the same hand and bent down to her ear. She stiffened at his touch, which was as far from normal as it gets with Chloe. She would jump. She always did. But physical connection never made her uncomfortable. Not since Liam had been expelled. Not with Derek anyways.

"Try again," Derek whispered, hinting to her assumption that he was his brother. She instantly relaxed, easing Derek's paranoia that something was wrong, but he couldn't help himself. Something was off and it bothered him that he didn't know what it was.

"What's wrong?"

Chloe snapped her gaze up at him. Being as trained as he was to reading her eyes- where the answers were always found there when it came to Chloe. Acting on those answers proved to be better said than done though with Derek- that he could skip right past her features. Her face said innocence and confusion, her eyes said the opposite.

"What do you mean? Nothing's wrong." Derek would admit that when it came to her skipping over the truth, because the girl was a horrible liar, her stutter was getting better. But even that facet wasn't good enough. He still caught the hesitation.

"So you're walking by yourself to third hour and you thought I was Simon? Yup, everything seems hunky dory, Chloe." With that Chloe snorted and pulled herself into his side, wrapping her own arm around his waist to hold herself closer. Better. Definitely better.

This was normal for them, both comfortable with an extremely close proximity and constant touch. They did their best- Chloe did, where Derek didn't care much what anyone else thought- to keep their displays of affection in public to a minimum. Granted, Derek made sure there was an understanding of Chloe's connection with him among the rest of the student body, especially of the male gender, for it never failed for Chloe to catch someone's eye. Aside from holding hands or something like this, the rest of their relationship was private, and Derek probably appreciated that more than constant interruptions or stares.

"I was just thinking. Besides, I thought you would catch up," she said smugly, causing Derek to arch his brow in challenge before shoving it away and giving her a questioning glance. She knew very well how to distract him, but it wasn't going to come that easy. Not this time.

"What were you thinking so hard about?"

"Um-" Chloe hesitated again, uselessly clearing her throat, as if gathering her bearings. "I got this last hour." She made a face as soon as the words slipped her tongue and Derek knew that hadn't been what she was originally going to say. But she went along with it anyways, probably finding that it was too late to turn back and pulled a manila envelope from her bag. She handed it over to him. He released her and she took a small step away while he opened the envelope. He instantly missed the heat of her tucked against his side.

"What is this," Derek asked, pushing aside the disappointment of Chloe's distance and pulling out the contents of the envelope. It looked to be some sort of certificate accompanied by a letter. Chloe rolled her eyes and muttered something like, "Why don't you read it and find out?" So, with a scowl, Derek did just that.

It was an acknowledgment of great achievement on the dance team and a letter congratulating her on excelling in varsity.

"You lettered on the dance team," Derek rumbled the question, knowing it was a good thing and wondering why it seemed to be a bad thing by the way Chloe presented the news.

"Yup. Which means I don't have to participate again my last year to keep the eligibility for the scholarship," Chloe stated rather monotonously. Derek scrunched up his nose at the letter, again wondering what was so bad about that. He thought Chloe didn't really want to be on the dance team.

"So you excelled, Chloe. That doesn't mean you have to drop the team," Derek stated cautiously. "Not if you don't want to at least."

"You know I don't want to be on the team, Derek," she sighed. And he did know that. But how was he supposed to believe that if she acted like this about the subject? He knew the reason behind her participation on the dance team was because of her sense of connection towards her deceased mother. But that didn't mean that she liked being on the team. She hated it. At least he thought she did.

"So why do you seem so bummed about it?"

"I'm not bummed about it," Chloe snapped, taking Derek by surprise, as if he was seriously missing something. Chloe caught herself before she fell into a rant, taking a deep breath and proceeding calmly. "It just seems weird. I've been dancing since I was six and now I'm finally doing something I want to do about it. I'm dropping out. Maybe I have to give it a couple days to sink in."

"Guess so," Derek muttered as he resealed the letter and handed it back to Chloe. He was tempted to take her hand, like usual, but he didn't. He settled for stuffing his hands into his pockets and remaining silent the rest of the walk to their C.C.C. class.

Something was bothering Chloe. Derek had this gut feeling that it had nothing to do with the letter. He knew Chloe was going to drop the team and hold no regrets for it, only because she understood that her mother wouldn't want her to hold that feeling of guilt and responsibility anymore, and neither did Derek.

No. Something else was upsetting Chloe. Something she was trying to hide. But sooner or later, Derek was going to find out what it was… even if he didn't like the answer.

What if the reason she was hiding it from him was because it was him?

Chloe wasn't even watching the movie.

Ever since they had started dating, Chloe was over at Derek's house more and more. For one, they had to work on the project they were paired together for their C.C.C. class that Mr. Beck had assigned way back near the middle of the semester. They now had only two weeks left until the semester was over and were practically done with the budgeting aspect anyway. They simply had to put their analysis into the software that Mr. Beck had shown them, and Derek was going to have Tori help with that. He usually left the tech to her, as much as she would hate to admit it, Victoria Enright was a major computer geek.

Second, there wasn't much for Chloe do to after practice when she was by herself all the time. In fact, Derek had yet to meet Chloe's father- not too sure whether he wanted to or not, perplexed by how Chloe's father would react that his daughter, who's life he was completely clueless of, was now dating- and her aunt Lauren, because of their work. Steven Saunders would soon be coming back from a four week business trip though, and Chloe's aunt promised to take a night she wasn't on call at Buffalo General to meet this new boy in her niece's life. From how Chloe hesitated once announcing the event to Derek, he was sure that meeting wasn't going to be a pleasant one. And rules were already set. Chloe couldn't be out past seven, which she obediently and religiously followed. Derek didn't argue.

However, in Chloe's free time, she was usually with him or off with Mila, a friend of Chloe's that Derek actually liked. She was often invited to dinner on Thursday's by Derek's dad, most of which Chloe politely declined for she didn't want to encroach on their family gathering.

Tonight wasn't one of those nights. Derek had insisted and pushed past Chloe's protests, practically forcing her to stay for dinner. He was going to scrounge up whatever time he could tonight of all nights, because the entire day at school, Chloe had been acting strange and distant. And Derek didn't like not knowing the reason why. Especially now, as they sat on the couch in his living room, Chloe curled up in her regular spot, head against Derek's shoulder while he rested his arm on the back of the sofa, her eyes intent on the screen. But, she wasn't even watching the movie- that she had chosen- and that drove Derek madder than when she was actually paying attention, mumbling and critiquing every aspect that dealt with the production of the film that no one ever cared to think about.

She didn't say a single word and that was saying something considering they were watching 'Shaun of the Dead.'

Finally, Derek cracked and reached for the remote. He couldn't take the horrid movie and, more importantly, he couldn't take Chloe's torturous silence and odd behavior anymore. He switched the TV off and tossed the remote to the coffee table.

"Hey! I was watching that," Chloe complained, not really sounding upset by the interruption. She looked up at him with a questioning scowl.

"No you weren't, Chloe," Derek accused.

"Yes, obviously, I was," she said angrily.

"Chloe, you haven't said a single word about it for the past hour that it's been playing," Derek exasperated. "Even I thought it was horrible and yet you've been completely quiet."

"It was good," Chloe protested, sitting up and moving away from him. Derek raised a speculative brow which she matched with a glare.

"You hate illegitimate zombie movies," he said factually.

"It wasn't-" Derek's brows raised higher and she stopped short. Finally her shoulders slumped and she averted her eyes to the floor.

"Okay. It was horrible. But I wasn't really watching it in the first place."

"Which brings me back to my point," Derek started. "You haven't been acting like yourself today. Something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," Chloe said a little too quickly and Derek nodded, knowing that she was going to need an interrogation before she spilled the beans. He wasn't so ready for her to spill them either. He'd been fretting all day that the reason behind her distance was because of him. That maybe she wasn't into this anymore. That maybe she wasn't into him anymore and that she didn't want to tell him. And though he gave Chloe more credit than that, he couldn't help but feel self conscious and dejected. It never made sense for a girl like Chloe would choose a guy like him and though it was a long shot, he couldn't fight the hope. All good things had to come to an end. He wasn't going to let it go on if it didn't have a chance.

He still hesitated though, not wanting to let what they had go. He liked Chloe. He really liked her. So he started slow, easing into it, hoping it wouldn't be as disappointing if his thoughts were slowly revealed to be a reality.

"Yes there is, Chloe. I'm not stupid. Did something happen at school this morning?"

"No," she stated with slightly narrowed eyes, seeing that he wasn't just going to drop it. And he wasn't, even though his stomach clenched as paranoia began to build.

"Did Simon say something?"

"No," she snapped. That wasn't it either, which narrowed it way down. What else could it be if not him?

"Did I do something? Are you upset with me," Derek tested, that glimmer of hope flaring inside him as he held his breath for her answer...

"W-What? No, of course not," Chloe blanched, her eyes widening in surprise and disbelief, as if the idea was the craziest thing in the world. Derek felt his breath rush out of him in relief and a tension he wasn't aware of holding released. So she wasn't over him, not yet at least. There was always the possibility. For now he didn't think of that, because he still hadn't gotten anywhere with Chloe.

"Then what's wrong?"

"I'm telling you," Chloe said in exacerbation. "There is nothing-"

"Chloe," Derek interrupted with a straight face, keeping her eyes locked with his. "There's no one here. We aren't at school, Simon's at basketball practice, Tori is off with Liz and my dad is out getting some work done. It's just you and me right now. I know I'm not the greatest guy to talk to about stuff, but I don't like knowing your upset and-"

"You're going away to college," Chloe suddenly blurted. She clamped her mouth shut as soon as the words escaped and look away, allowing her hair to cover her expression. Derek on the other hand knit his brows together in complete confusion, his mind not quite capable of understanding what it was that she meant or what she was talking about for the matter.

"What?"

"I-Its nothing. Just forget i-it," Chloe muttered, still glancing off into the living room, now fidgeting with her mother's oval pendant around her neck.

"It's not nothing, Chloe," Derek said, trying to catch her eye. "What are you talking about?"

"Well," Chloe paused, refusing to look at him while looking anywhere else. The fidgeting of her trinket became worse. Finally she sighed. "I was talking to Mila last night."

Oh great, was Derek first thought.

"She was asking about us, wondering i-if I was worried about you graduating this year a-and going away to college. I admit I hadn't really thought about it. I always knew you would and I'm still really excited for you. But o-once she brought it up that way, I-I just couldn't help it. I just started thinking about it, about what she meant."

Chloe started off slow and deliberate, in a manner to keep herself calm that wasn't working in her favor. She swallowed hard, blinking several times, staring at a spot on the couch while Derek patiently- as patiently as he could- waited for her to explain how this was upsetting her. Then she went on in a rush.

"You'll be so busy with studies and trying to maintain that scholarship and you'll be so far away. You'll have new teachers, new equals, and a new community. You'll be able to meet new people and there will be other girls there. Older girls. Most that are probably more experienced. Maybe they will have more to offer, and they will be prettier and older and smarter and presumptuous and might not hold as much emotional baggage as I do, and-"

Derek cut off Chloe's frantic ranting by planting his hand over her mouth, effectively catching her by surprise and shutting her up. He next took hold of her hands so that she wouldn't accidentally tie the chain of her necklace in a knot and wind up freakishly choking herself to death. Her eyes snapped to his, wide and innocent- and sad. He watched her for a moment, taking the breath to run everything she was saying through his practical brain.

How could she honestly feel threatened by- college girls? Was that really what this was all about? That Derek would go off to college and find someone better? Someone better than Chloe, by means of looks, brains and body? She couldn't be serious. Of course it was apparent that she wouldn't like the distance between them, she made that understandable and that was normal. But to think that she wasn't good enough… for him?

He could see it in her eyes, how insignificant, undeserving and threatened she felt and how much the idea was upsetting her. He had never seen her self confidence and worth so shot, not since Liam had been taken out of the picture. That look had Derek's insides drumming at his body, unnervingly torturing him. And yet, she had no reason to feel or look so dejected. If Chloe deserved anything, it was more than him and what he could offer.

But he didn't know how to say that or what to say to make Chloe feel better or believe him. Believe the truth. He wasn't a man of words so much as a man of action. He went through things rationally, taking action on them without the consent of others. He was stumped because he wasn't sure what to say nor was his only idea of action rational.

But since when had anything with Chloe been logical or made sense? Besides, actions spoke greater than words and, most of the time, that rang true with Derek So he did the only thing he could think of that would help Chloe believe him, that she wasn't just some fling that Derek would move on from once in college and surrounded by older women. No offense to his brother, but Chloe wasn't like one of Simon's girlfriends.

To Derek, Chloe was different and she was special. And he wanted to be sure that she felt that way.

He removed his hand from her mouth, revealing her parted, sad lips to him. His fingers brushed along her cheek, the skin growing red from either his touch or being upset, he wasn't sure, while his hand clasped around hers tugged her closer to him. She looked at him with questioning eyes before his own green orbs locked onto his target. She sucked in a breath when his hand claimed the nape of her neck, tilting her face up to meet his.

When their lips first touched, Chloe didn't respond, remaining hesitant and stiff. But Derek simply closed his eyes and released her hands, letting them fall into his lap while his own found her side and rested there. After a second Derek could literally hear the click and whirr of her brain's gears and she reacted, leaning into him, fingers gliding up his chest, lips finally moving against his in synchronization. She suddenly relaxed, as if a large weight was lifted off her shoulders and Derek knew that this was all he needed to do, to say to make her understand that they had something. Something that older girls couldn't threaten. And the thought made Derek smile into their kiss.

After a few more seconds, Chloe's arms found their way around his neck, effectively pulling herself parallel against him. Derek dropped his hand from her hair and skimmed his fingers down her back untill it was symmetrical with his other on her waist. Somewhere during that, Chloe had wiggled her way onto Derek's lap and was lengthening their kiss to something they hadn't quite reached in their relationship yet. They never really got enough time alone like this where everyone was gone at once and somehow, subconsciously knowing that, it was taking them just a step farther without them having to jump two spaces back like before.

Derek couldn't help but notice how the taste of Chloe's lips made his mouth water, simply helping his fogged brain comprehend that he wanted more. He tentatively flicked his tongue across her lower lip before gliding it along its luscious skin. Chloe abruptly made a sound that sent violent shudders down his spine and it somewhat surprised him when she opened her mouth to him, allowing him a chance to explore.

With slight hesitation Derek slipped his tongue between her lips, glancing across hers in the process. She released a silent giggle, fingers tangling themselves deeper into his hair. Derek would grudgingly admit this was one of the reasons he kept from getting it cut.

While slowly losing more and more focus on the world around them, Derek continued to dance his tongue along Chloe's, thoroughly enjoying the heated sweet taste that slid down his throat and filled his core with an erratic flame, matching the beat of his untamed heart. Unfortunately, all too soon, as if they had been in a serious lip lock for what seemed to be hours, they pulled apart to breathe and pant, filling their mistreated lungs. Derek skimmed his nose and lips along Chloe's jaw, drinking in the moment, memorizing every detail, letting her know how much she meant to him and that the something they had was special.

"I can't believe how blind you are," Derek chuckled into her ear, knowing how ironic the comment was because of how observant and quick she actually was. Chloe laughed along with him and tucked herself into his chest, wrapping her arms around his middle, falling content to know that Derek said all he needed to say to reassure her.

So he was going to college. Big deal. They still had about a half a year until then and their relationship had to make it there first before they worried about distance and everything else. But worrying about Derek going after another girl that wasn't Chloe, let alone actually talking to one like he did with her was ridiculous. Even for Chloe. As naive and unrealistic as it sounded- neither of them knew what the future held for them- they still had the time to decide whether there would actually be those kinds of problems between them anyways. For now, they needed to worry about the present and continue the way that they are going. Because that way, Derek can say for certain that what they have will get somewhere.

"Alright, love fest over," a voice boasted from behind the couch. Chloe and Derek jumped apart, Derek's frown returning as well as Chloe's blush. Derek glanced over his shoulder and found Tori standing there with her arms crossed and a smug smirk. Her eyes locked with Derek's and the look spoke volumes. Trouble.

"I thought you were out with Liz."

"Oh, I was," Tori started, smile getting wider. "But Liz reminded me of due dates and I had to race back home before you and Chloe got too busy." She finished her statement with a snicker. Derek's eyes narrowed at her as he grew more and more suspicious. He could practically feel Chloe's heat of embarrassment rolling off of her in waves under Tori's knowing gaze.

"What due dates, Tori," he snapped. "What are you talking about?"

Tori beamed, looking all too pleased by the moment and Derek knew he was in for it, whatever it was. She twisted and reached into the backpack slung over one of her slender shoulders and pulled from it a large stack of papers. Derek eyed them warily, having a small inkling of what they could be. She lifted the pile over the couch and dropped it purposefully into Derek's empty lap- where he noted that Chloe should still be if not for the evil witch trying to ruin his life, as dramatic as it sounds.

The top paper was a cover page that said, "MIT college application." Derek grimaced, his suspicions proven correct.

"Tech school due dates are in February, which means that I need these finished and sent off by the end of next week."

"Tori, there has to be more than five applications here," Derek bit out icily.

"My top ten actually," she smirked, while Derek simply glared at her. "And I would like your keys also. The mall has been waiting a little too long for Liz and I, and your car will get us there faster."

"What," Derek blanched. "That wasn't part of the agreement. I may have lost that bet, but you said my keys were yours during the summer."

"Considering the circumstances," Tori started, once again flashing her dark eyes in Chloe direction, sparking with something other than pure evil that Derek couldn't place, before she returned her gaze to him. Derek, for a second thought that he was hallucinating, for Tori seemed to genuinely smile at him instead of leer. As if she knew something he didn't, only because he was clueless about it and not because she wanted to keep it from him. He gave her a perplexed look. "I believe I have every right to take my prize early."

"What circumstances-" Derek stopped short, eyes widening as something dawned on him that never would have crossed his mind in a million years, because the very thought in itself was impossible. Tori nodded, seeing Derek's understanding and held out her hand for his keys.

"Table on the bottom of the landing," Derek said quietly, nodding his head in the direction of where he had last placed his keys.

"Thank you very much, big brother. It's a pleasure doing business with you," Tori said before turning on her heel and disappearing into the entry hall, leaving Derek sitting there to comprehend the sanity of the world.

"Derek," Chloe questioned, fitting her hand into his. He looked at her, her features just as perturbed as he felt. With a tight squeeze from her hand she asked, "What was that all about?"

Derek scrunched his nose in distaste, not entirely sure if he could say it out loud.

"I think, in her own twisted way, I think Tori just helped me."

Chloe's brows knit together, yet her lips pulled back and she giggled, as if she could see how insane that statement sounded. She was very aware that Tori and Derek were always at each others necks.

"Well, however, whatever that was-" Chloe motioned to the stack of papers in his lap with her free hand while her other laced her tiny fingers in between his. "However that little encounter helped, do you appreciate your little sister's aid?"

Did he appreciate Tori's help? How she manipulated him into a challenge that she knew Derek couldn't refuse, how he miserably lost by falling for Chloe's big blue eyes just like everyone else she has come across, how he had to go through all that crap with Liam because he actually fancied the girl, and how he now had to fill Tori's applications and be car-less for God knows how long... all leading to him getting the girl. Against all odds, against all rumors, Derek got the girl.

He glanced at Chloe again, her bright sapphire orbs were dancing with amusement and glowing as if she were seeing something that she wanted. And Derek wouldn't have that if not for Tori. He chuckled just thinking about it and pulled Chloe closer, slowly bringing his lips to hers and murmuring admittedly,

"Yeah, which means that I'm unfortunately indebted to her. But I don't care. In the end I believe I won this bet."

"What bet," Chloe giggled and her lips temptingly brushed Derek's, immediately fogging his senses.

"Forget about it," he said lowly, almost in a growl before he captured her lips, for once getting caught up in his own victory and forgetting everything else.

No matter the rumors, Chloe was still innocent, safe... and mine. And nothing else mattered.

Fin

Future seniors, don't wait until January to fill out your college applications. Just a helpful hint.

Thank you everyone! I hope you enjoyed that ending and it turned out satisfactory.

Any questions, comments, concerns? Leave me last reviews, even if you haven't reviewed in the past, I'd love to hear from you guys. Continue to follow me though, I'll be coming out with plenty of One-shots in the future!

I heart you all with all my love! Bye!